The Carp and the Gray Kitten
by KindHeartedWriter
Summary: There is a kitten and a carp who have a tale to share with you, and it's about happiness. (An excerpt from "Caught in a Dream".)


Once upon a time, there was a kitten. It was a pretty little gray tabby and it loved to eat fish. One day, the kitten went to the lake to catch one for herself. The kitten wanted to be independent.

The kitten caught a silver carp after she practiced fishing for a few days.

"You eat me, and then what do I eat?" the carp asked the kitten. The kitten tried to ignore him.

The kitten then tried to eat the carp, but then realized that the carp was hungry too. She put the carp back in the lake, and watched the carp eat its dinner.

The kitten liked watching the carp, and the carp liked having the kitten around. They became best friends. The kitten began to catch mice in the woods outside of the lake instead of fishing, for fear that she'd catch her friend by mistake. The kitten protected the carp from bigger fish, and the carp made the kitten laugh because every time the carp talked, bubbles flew out into the lake.

One day, the carp was trapped in a net. There were people fishing, and the carp was stuck. The kitten tried to save the carp by jumping in the water.

The carp told the kitten to get out because the kitten began to sink into the lake. The carp said, "Kitten, this is how life goes. I get caught, and people eat me. You would have eaten me a long time ago."

The kitten said, "I would have, but I decided not to." The kitten tried to bite at the rope but the carp was stuck. The kitten didn't know what to do.

The carp, seeing how stubborn the kitten was said, "Try your claws."

Becoming more desperate, the kitten clawed at the net to join the carp so the carp wouldn't have to be in the net by himself.

The gap allowed the carp to swim back out onto the lake, and then kitten swam out with the carp. But the kitten's fur began to soak up water, making the kitten too heavy. The kitten grew tired trying to keep herself up and the carp couldn't save the kitten.

"Kitten, swim with me to the bank," the carp cried, feeling afraid for the kitten.

The kitten was too tired to swim, and the carp started to become more afraid. "Kitten, move your paws."

The kitten began to breathe in water, and the carp prodded her across.

The kitten sighed. "This is how life goes. We all have to die eventually."

The carp protested. "You saved me, and I will save you."

The kitten lost consciousness, and woke up on the bank. She hurried to the shore and looked around for her friend.

She started wailing because she couldn't find the carp. A silver cat with black stripes walked up to her, and asked, "What's wrong?"

She said, "I can't find my friend!"

The silver cat said, "What does he look like?"

The cat answered, "He's silver, and he can swim really well. He's a carp, and I lost him."

The silver cat looked at the gray kitten and said, "Look at me."

The gray kitten met his eyes and she suddenly sees the carp, swimming in the lake. She blinked and realized that he's the carp.

The kitten asked, "You're my friend, aren't you?"

The silver cat smiled, yes smiled, and nodded.

"You never forget who your friends are, even if you forget what they looked like."

"How are you a cat?" the kitten couldn't understand.

The silver cat explained. "A sorcerer found me stealing mice from his lair and made me a carp. I loved mice so much that stealing them made me happy. To break the spell, I had to learn not to steal happiness. I had to learn how to be happy without having to take it."

The kitten understood what the silver cat said, and smiled. "I make you happy?"

The silver cat nodded and the gray kitten became very happy. They never left each other's side, and stayed together until the end of their days because even though they argued with each other sometimes, overall, they made each other happy.

_The moral is to always remember that if you're not happy now, you will be later. Whether you're with someone you care about, or if you're by yourself. . ._

_ You'll be happy again._


End file.
